PSK Reporter

PSK Reporter makes use of existing signals that are being transmitted by people calling CQ. This approach is different from some other propagation reporting tools. It has the advantage that with more monitoring stations there is better coverage without consuming any bandwidth.

HAP Charts

A HAP Chart (Hourly Area Prediction) specifies the Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) for HF communications between the base specified and any location on the map. The colors represent the MUF for communications between that location on the map and the base selected.

Thus, if communications are required to or from Minneapolis, a HAP chart for Minneapolis should be used. The other end of the circuit is then found on the HAP chart and the color at that location gives the MUF for that circuit.

Hourly HAP Charts are HAP Charts based on current ionospheric conditions observed with ionosondes in the region of interest. An Hourly HAP Chart is only valid for the current hour due to the highly variable nature of the ionosphere.

It is also helpful to view HAP Chart propagation from the perspective of distant locations. In this manner you can determine if they are able to reach the Midwest with a usable MUF. Here are charts for:

London, England

Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Adelaide, Australia

Tokyo, Japan

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

HF & Propagation

Understanding Solar Flux, A and K indexes is very important for serious HF operation. With pre-knowledge of the conditions, one can determine if a band will be open, and whether DX contacts may be successful.